Scottish Executive

Care of Elderly People

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the Clydesdale parliamentary constituency will benefit from its plans to introduce free personal care for the elderly.

Malcolm Chisholm: In Scotland, everyone who currently contributes towards the cost of their personal care, whether at home or in a care home setting, will benefit from the introduction of free personal care. There will also be an expansion of personal care services in the community.

  Those who already have their care costs met from public funds will continue to do so.

Drug Misuse

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for the possession of (a) cannabis or (b) cannabis resin in the City of Edinburgh have been brought in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999 and (iv) 2000 and in how many cases the prosecution was dealt with by (1) admonition, (2) fine, (3) community service order or (4) custody.

Mr Jim Wallace: Figures for the number of prosecutions for the possession of cannabis or cannabis resin cannot, from the information held centrally, be separately identified within the total number of prosecutions where the main offence was possession of drugs. The available information is given in the table. Data for the year 2000 are not yet available.

  Persons proceeded against where the main offence was possession of drugs, Edinburgh1, 1999

  


Main Penalty 
  

Year 
  



1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  



Persons proceeded against 
  

538 
  

448 
  

401 
  



Persons with a charge proved 
  

518 
  

422 
  

375 
  



Of which given: 
  

 




Custody 
  

2 
  

16 
  

17 
  



Community service order2


13 
  

10 
  

16 
  



Fine 
  

475 
  

367 
  

304 
  



Admonition 
  

24 
  

22 
  

28 
  



Other sentences3


4 
  

7 
  

10 
  



  Notes:

  1. Prosecutions in Edinburgh Sheriff Court or City of Edinburgh District Court.

  2. Includes community service as a condition of a probation order.

  3. Includes probation (with no condition of community service), guardianship order and caution.

Health

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the working group chaired by the Chief Medical Officer on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis will be published.

Malcolm Chisholm: The working group, which was chaired by Professor Allen Hutchinson, has now presented its report to the Chief Medical Officer in England. Arrangements for publication of the report will be announced in due course.

Health

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce ophthalmology waiting times in the Clydesdale parliamentary constituency.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive set out in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change our commitment to work with NHSScotland to reduce waiting through increased investment and improved working practices. Reducing waiting times is a priority for the new NHS boards. I understand that NHS Lanarkshire is currently working to improve ophthalmology services across its area.

Health

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for a routine ophthalmology appointment.

Susan Deacon: Provisional figures for the year ending 30 June 2001 show that the median waiting time for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in ophthalmology, following referral by a general medical practitioner, was 64 days.

Industry

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17973 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 26 September 2001, when the Manufacturing Steering Group next plans to meet and what contribution the group still has to make.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Manufacturing Steering Group was successful in identifying a number of initiatives to support manufacturing as set out in Created in Scotland . The Manufacturing Image Group has also taken forward key initiatives.

  Other initiatives are currently being actioned by the Scottish Executive and its agencies. Good progress has already been made, with some of the initiatives having been fully completed. The details of progress against each initiative is set out in a table which is on the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department website and will be updated on a quarterly basis. The members of the Scottish Manufacturing Steering Group will also be informed of progress.

  A new UK Manufacturing Summit is planned for later in the autumn and we plan to review the role of the Scottish Manufacturing Steering Group and the respective roles of the Executive and its agencies in the light of the emerging UK framework.

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions police officers have (a) been issued with firearms and (b) responded to incidents involving arms on a monthly basis since May 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. However, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary annual statistical returns show that between 1 April 1999 and 31 March 2000, there were 141 operations in Scotland for which firearms were issued to the police, and between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2001 there were 74 such operations.

Renewable Energy

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that wind farms are more widely developed in Scotland.

Rhona Brankin: We are currently carrying out a final consultation on the detail of the Renewables Obligation (Scotland), or ROS, which we hope to implement from January 2002. The ROS will place a statutory obligation on Scotland’s electricity suppliers to provide a specified proportion of their electricity from renewable sources, and will encourage the building of many more renewable energy projects, including wind farms. The objective is to ensure that around 18% of Scotland’s electricity comes from renewable sources by 2010.

  In addition, we have revised the National Planning Policy Guidelines on Renewable Energy, which now provide a planning framework within which developers and planning authorities can work together. These guidelines have been warmly welcomed by the renewables industry and local authorities alike.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s fifth Annual Report and Accounts will be published.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is due to publish its fifth Annual Report and Accounts on 30 October. The report contains details of SEPA’s achievements and activities during the period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001, the agency’s fifth year of operation. Copies of the Annual Report and Accounts have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 17062).

Scottish Transport Group Pension Fund

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the ex-gratia payment to members of the Scottish Transport Group Pension Funds will be tax free.

Sarah Boyack: No. The tax liability of recipients of ex-gratia payments will be dependent upon individual circumstances.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16678 by Allan Wilson on 24 August 2001, what level of qualification and expertise is required by the Official in Charge of Show, attending doctors, referees and head coaches in order for them to carry the responsibility for the safety of those taking part in boxing.

Allan Wilson: The Official in Charge of Show must be a referee or judge and referees must hold an Amateur Boxing Scotland Ltd (ABS Ltd) referees certificate. When referees reach the age of 60 they must sit a further medical examination. Attending doctors must be a member of the British Medical Association and head coaches must hold an ABS Ltd coaches certificate.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16679 by Allan Wilson on 24 August 2001, when the criteria outlined in the Coaching Certificate were (a) laid down and (b) last reviewed and whether the criteria remain appropriate.

Allan Wilson: The criteria outlined in the Coaching Certificate were laid down on 12 February 2000 when Amateur Boxing Scotland Ltd (ABS Ltd) replaced the former Scottish Amateur Boxing Association and the Scottish Amateur Boxing Federation. The criteria are kept under review and updated as required. They will be reviewed by ABS Ltd’s newly appointed National Coach for the Commonwealth Games and the Director of Development.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16679 by Allan Wilson on 24 August 2001, what level of qualification and expertise is required of those setting and monitoring the requirements of the Coaching Certificate.

Allan Wilson: Those involved in setting and monitoring the requirements of the Coaching Certificate must be working towards the Boxing Advanced Certificate or equivalent. In addition they must have worked with junior or senior boxers and have good management, written and oral skills.

Tourism

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to support the golf tourism industry and local economies in areas such as Carnoustie following the recent terrorist attacks in the United States of America.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: The marketing of Scotland as a golf tourism destination is and will continue to be a high priority. VisitScotland has reviewed its marketing strategy in the light of the 11 September events and will target its campaigns carefully in order to maximise opportunities. Funding for VisitScotland is at a record level.